Life of the Metallic God Part One
by Michelle the Maverick Sandwich
Summary: Forte, having been the robot's equivilent of dead for the past 200 years, is awakened to find the world has changed so much. He tries to find followers to help him change it back to the way it used to be, but then Zero appears...


**The Life of the Metallic God**

Part I.

=Chapter 1=

_One time, there was a lone robot. He didn't know who built him, or why. People feared him because he was an unknown, unparalleled enigma, and he always fought. After a while, he became an unearthly force from his immense strength, and many challengers wanted to defeat him and prove their worth. He killed them all. However, one remained throughout his war. This blue warrior the god could not take down, and he was severely damaged. He hid himself far away, in an ancient power plant; the power there was just about enough to keep him breathing. He attempted to repair himself with the parts he salvaged from his wars. Meanwhile, all the people who had so loathed him stopped seeing him in the dark alleys where he lived and on the streets he roamed. He slowly became legend as the blue robot became a hero. Then, one day, the pulse of power at the plant ceased beating, and with that, the heart of the robot enshrined inside. Ages passed, and still the god decayed, until one day a scientist entered his sacred realm. He took the fallen seraph of darkness and fixed him. A few weeks later, the god finally reopened his eyes. What he saw was not the dark world he had once called hell, but a utopia with enhanced robots walking out in the open like humans. The Reploids, as they were called, were at peace with their human comrades. This fresh, alien world disgusted the god, who all his life had seen nothing but discrimination toward his kind. He reviled the humans as they had hated him so many centuries ago with a passion that left even Shakespeare in the dust. Now with this new power rising in him, the god set out to make known the futility of humans and the superiority of their mechanical sovereigns. He bombed and terrorized some cities, and took delight when he saw the terror on the humans' faces. The robots the god had known in the past did not feel emotions like sadness and fear, but times had changed. The god thought it amusing to destroy whole families, but leaving one left to suffer in seclusion. He slew many innocent Reploids foolishly trying to defend their human cohorts. If only they knew the limitless power they held in their hands... He tried to make the Reploids understand that humans were inferior to his kind, but none followed him. And like so many years ago, the blue fighter came about to end his carnage._

However this time, he had a red swordsman with him. He brought forth various memories to the god's mind. The god struggled to remember who this was and where he had seen him, but remembrance failed him. The blue gunslinger was much stronger now, having been altered over the years, and this delighted the dark messiah. He was much more exciting to fight now than ever. The battle raged on, and the warrior's strength was wearing thin. Then, while the swordsman was incapacitated, the blue robot said to him, "I know who you are." These words struck the god like burning iron. He quickly asked the warrior why, and even how they were related, because he didn't have a damn clue about anything. The gunman swiftly replied, "I know what you've been through. Please, don't hurt anyone..." _Ugh_, the god thought_. He won't even fight correctly._ "...Forte." Forte's eyes widened as he remembered his name. Like a dam had burst open, all the memories his creator so carefully hid away came back to him. He remembered his own blood on his hands as he ran from the Reploid standing before him so many years ago. He clenched his fist, the anger stored away for so long reaching its peak. He pointed his fist directly at the warrior; slowly creeping closer. "I know you...you're the one who killed me!" That said, the god of darkness lunged at his tormentor. The warrior named X uttered a final, futile cry, and slowly looked down to see Forte's fist shoved through his chest. Forte then, with his other hand swung at X's power crystal, shattering his memories and spattering his blood everywhere on the ground. Forte let his opponent's body fall lifelessly to the ground, landing with a defeated thud. The god simply smiled, and with the deed done turned to X's partner and carried him over his shoulder back to his lair.

When Zero awoke, he ran a quick diagnostic check, and noticed he could move just fine. He took a subtle peek around the room and saw the walls were barren and rocky, with a dark shine highlighting the outwardmost tips. It was crudely lit by electroluminescence wire stapled into the walls. _I must be in a cave,_ he thought. Then, Forte passed through an adjoined room to the right. He didn't seem to notice that Zero had awakened. Zero seemed puzzled as he heard various clinking sounds, like the sounds of tools and melting metal. The god was obviously constructing something. Suddenly, a surprised gasp filled the air and blood spattered on the wall. "Dammit!!" he heard Forte shout, and the fallen angel paced quickly across from where he came, holding the wound and dripping blood all over the floor. Zero finally got up and looked around the corner. What he saw was Forte groaning as he patched the laceration in his arm with a hot soldering gun. Steam hissed and rose from the wound and blood danced down his arm. Forte glanced over to Zero and slightly jumped, then regained himself. "...so who are you?" he asked, a faint sign of fatigue creeping into his voice. There were dark rings around his eyes, signaling that he'd been up all night without a good charge. Zero pondered a moment, and then said, "Who are _you_?" Forte replied, hesitantly, "I'm Forte. But who are you? You seem awfully familiar to me..." Zero remembered this man from the battle yesterday, and how powerful he was, and thought it best to answer his question. "I'm Zero, a Maverick Hunter. ...you mind telling me where I am?" Forte had an expression of confusion on his face; one eyebrow raised. "What's a Maverick?" he asked. Zero was aghast with Forte's ignorance. "You're kidding...you have no idea what a Maverick is?" The look on the god's face was a mixture of confusion and anger. Zero laughed, and Forte stood tense; He did not enjoy being ridiculed. It was the swordsman who spoke. "A Maverick is a Reploid who has no respect for humans. They serve under Sigma, their leader, who believes that Reploids should rule the world." Zero continued to tell the uninformed god what had happened in the last century.

Forte experienced a strange feeling; his throat choked and he felt as though he couldn't breathe. And all this time he'd been trying to convert Reploids into what a virus could do in an hour, and losing. Forte did not care for this Sigma person. "Ahem." said Zero, interrupting his train of thought. "Where am I? I think I deserve to know." The god hesitated, and said, "This is my... house, you could call it...it's really more like a workshop than living quarters, and I have a nuclear reactor in the back if you need to charge." Zero liked it here. It was away from those annoying reporters that kept bothering him about being the second top Maverick Hunter. Well now he was, with X gone. Luckily Zero was unconscious by then, and had no memories of what happened. Forte left the room, but he said just loud enough to hear, "You can stay or go back. I just needed some information." He sounded half dead, or like there was something on his mind causing him unrest. Zero was perplexed, and questioning his next actions. _If I go back_, he thought, _people would ask me where I've been... but where would I tell them? Besides, I need a vacation._

Zero yelled to the stone balcony where Forte was resting, "I'm gonna go get my stuff, but I'll be back." He could almost feel Forte's good intentions toward him, even if he denied they existed. Forte had needed a friend, and now he had acquired one. Zero walked off into the half light with a stiff, heavily-automated march. Zero returned a few hours later, tired and frustrated. "Where is this place? I've been walking for hours and not found a single town." Forte forgot that Zero was new here at the god's "humble" abode. "I will take you." he said, "It's much faster by hoverbike, if you can ride one." Zero found this stymieing, like he was just finishing a puzzle, but the last piece was hidden underneath the dresser. How could one so cruel in nature be so kind to a fellow kin? This implored much-needed deep thought...

Forte dragged out two hoverbikes that looked like ancient motorcycles from a shed near the southernmost piece of property. These new (or rather, old,) hoverbikes lacked wheels, but had power thrusters mounted on the rear, and high-tech steering columns in the front. "They're not much, but they'll go over 200 mph. Always be careful of trenches and rocks because the steering is a little rusty." Zero laughed at the intended pun. So the god had traits of humor _and_ kindness. What else did he have? Zero knew he was hiding something from him, but what? Once Forte showed Zero the correct way to ride, they were off. The swordsman's bright yellow hair was flowing like water into the sea of air, and Forte's ice blue hair waved ever so gracefully on the large of his back. Zero was contented for the first time in a long while. He was not around someone who sought only fame and glory, like the low-level Hunters back at the base, but rather one who needed a friend. Zero promised himself that he would be sure to become his long-awaited comrade. Zero sensed some kind of ancient bond between Forte and himself, like they were predestined to battle alongside each other. Just then, Forte glared at Zero: a menacing, yet playful look, and Zero understood. He wanted to race. Zero pulled the thruster lever down, accelerating to 120 miles per hour. Everything beside him passed in a crazed blur of color; dry, barren desert lands turning to sandy rivers and rocky walls to a theme of infertile ground. Forte quickly caught up with him, the neon blue trail of plasma shooting out the end of his bike's exhaust pipe. They were nearing the city now; they could see it coming over the horizon; its buildings silhouetted against the orange/red pre-dusk sky.

Chapter 2

Directly before they reached the city gates, Forte fishtailed and abruptly stopped. Zero didn't understand why he had done so, and pressed the brake too. "Why'd you stop? The city's right there! I'll show you the Hunter Base and we can sightsee." Forte replied solemnly, "No. My journey ends here. I'll just wait here until you get back." "Umm, okay then... See you!" Zero said, feigning a smile. Why was Forte staying behind? He is so naïve. Perhaps he was a hermit, hiding away… or even worse, a fugitive from the Hunters. As he flew quickly into the gate, the gatekeeper stopped him. "You're Zero, aren't you?" he said like a little fanboy and his eyes shining. Zero nodded and smiled with all of the charisma he had, and said, "Yeah, that's me! Can I go in now?" The gatekeeper didn't hesitate. The titanium alloy gate slowly rose, revealing the somber faces of the people inside. "Bye, Zero!!" he said, extremely delighted. Stepping into the once-crowded plaza, Zero saw that everybody walked slowly and mournfully. People greeted Zero half-heartedly and comforted him on his loss. _What was going on?_ He wondered, confused. And then he saw it.

The oversized electric billboard showed Maverick Hunter X's face and rank in calming blue letters. The newsreel at the bottom said, "The world's top Maverick Hunter, X, has been killed. Here is a picture of the suspect." The billboard showed a mean-looking, pale, ice-haired robot, with a purple stripe coming from each eye. The photo was taken from an eyewitness camera, and it portrayed the murderer in a pose of power-stricken euphoria. "Police say that there was a hole through X's chest and most of his circuits were broken or had been short-circuited. His power crystal on his forehead had been shattered by some unknown Reploid. This is certainly a sad day for humans and Reploids alike. Any information on this Maverick must be reported..." Zero couldn't breathe. He fell to the ground, tears like rivers from his eyes. He held his head in his hands, the only thing comforting. He felt as though some lone part of him had been torn out, his own soul taken. For a minute he lay there, weeping and sobbing. People walking by felt this, and solemnly walked away. Surely Abel City would be attacked now that the best Hunter was gone, they thought. Zero regained his senses. He got back to his feet and walked briskly toward the gate, tears still lingering in his eyes, threatening to fall. His determination was impenetrable, like a steel-reinforced rock face. Nothing could stop him now, not even death.

He was practically running now. A guard halted him on his way to the gate and said, "You okay, son?" Zero just stared forward toward the gate where X's slayer remained. "Get out of my way." Zero said with a fire that could burn the sun. The timid guard could sense the ferocity in his voice, and was scared. He got out of Zero's way. The crimson Reploid ran up to a different gate and demanded the door be opened. The guard insisted he couldn't do that, but Zero wouldn't accept the wrong answer. He proceeded toward the lowered gate, and with both hands tore a huge gash in it, just wide enough for him to squeeze through. He swiftly ran toward Forte who was leaning against a boulder and smoking a cigarette and brandished his saber. "You murderer!!" he screamed, as Forte dodged his first blow. "You killed him… You killed my friend!!" Zero was pissed. Forte called back after dropping his ciggie, "He killed me, oh so many decades ago! You should have seen the fire in his eyes!!" Zero dashed forward, right into Forte, who caught and held him. "Don't make me kill you, Zero." he growled, and threw Zero over his shoulders.

By now the fighters had drawn a crowd. Their faces now showed astonishment as they witnessed Zero courageously defending X's name against his slayer. Zero regained his balance and leaped toward the god. Forte grimaced and sighed, and decided it was time he used his strong attack. He spread his arms in the pose of crucification, then in a flash sent them straight out in front of his chest. That sent two huge wheels of darkness forward, nearly killing Zero right there. He almost dodged completely, but one ring clipped his arm, spewing blood on the ground. The startled crowd gasped, and a little girl screamed seeing his blood on the rocks. Forte did a backflip and flew over Zero who dashed behind him. Just as he looked back, Forte was there, and a red, jagged blade at Zero's throat. "I had to kill him," Forte said smoothly, "or he would've killed me." Zero screamed, "You deserve to die!!" Forte just sighed and hit Zero in the head rather hard with the flat side of his sword. Zero fell unconscious to the ground, and his Saber's blade dissipated. The crowd, with a cold glare from the victor, dispersed hurriedly to their homes and businesses. Again, he swung Zero's limp body over his shoulder and fled the scene.

When Zero awoke, he was not in the pseudo familiar territory that was Forte's home, but rather an ancient warehouse. There were many obsolete tools lying about, and the walls were rusty. Wrought-iron cables hung from the ceiling, curved hooks at their ends. Where was Forte? But more importantly, where was his Saber? True, he was still super strong without it, but he lost heart knowing it was elsewhere. He heard the clanking of machinery and a few "Dammits" and knew Forte was here. He got to his feet and fixed his golden hair, then gazed in the direction of the noise. He ground his teeth, balled his fists, and walked over, intent on completing his revenge. However, when he saw what Forte was working on, he froze.

There on the table lay the body of X, a few digits twitching, and wires in his neck peripheral. The wires were connected to a little handmade nuclear reactor that Forte probably made. Zero couldn't comprehend what was happening. His Saber was there also. The mechanical god looked over to Zero. "Will you finally calm down?" he said, in a voice both proud and weary. "I'm fixing him. I had to reprogram him so we had no history together, but I didn't change anything else. He should be the same as when you knew him." Zero's joy flowed like liquid gold, and he couldn't contain himself any longer. "Thank you!!!" he yelled with passion as he leaped onto Forte, giving him the first hug ever. Forte was horrified. He lobbed Zero off of him and said, "That's enough Zero. Just let me be until he's fixed." The weary god collapsed into a nearby chair and proceeded massaging his temple, as though to prove his exhaustion. Zero was one of the first Reploids, so his emotions weren't so easy to control as the newer ones. Zero thought of something. Zero was suddenly concerned for X. "Wait... Do you know of X's hardwiring? Are you sure you're doing it right?" Forte did not like people criticizing his work. "I know my own weapon marks better than the robots who suffered them; I think I know what I'm doing." he replied, with a hint of sarcasm. Zero backed off, having faith that Forte could fix him. Forte was also a god of mechanics. Deus ex machina worked things out alright that calm night.

Chapter 3

X felt fuzzy. Not fuzzy like fur, but a strange, warm, inviting fuzziness, like the distortion of an old screen. Everything seemed to be black, save for the occasional speck of color. He felt as though he was floating in a gel like substance; a sea of mush. For a while, he couldn't remember who or where he was, but later the thought came to him. He was X. He was a Reploid, a Maverick Hunter. He attempted to get up, but he couldn't or was unable to move. When he tried, all the fuzziness congregated in the moved part. Sometimes he heard things, various clinking sounds and an occasional, distorted "Dammit." Slowly, free thought returned to him and he could move freely. He had one hell of a headache, and was lying on a cold metal table. He rose and saw a blonde boy with glistening eyes and a warm smile looking at him. "Zero?" he said in a questioning manner. Zero jumped onto the table and gave him a loving hug. "I missed you." Zero's eyes looked relieved, with tears fighting their way out. Forte sat, or more like crouched, on a pillar outside, smoking a cigarette and apathetic to the Hunters' reunion. X motioned over to the crouching robot. "Who's he?" X inquired. Forte glanced over and lightly smiled. Zero answered, "He's Forte. He's the one who fixed you." Now X and Zero were sitting right beside each other, reminiscing, and looking at the night sky through the open window. The blue gunslinger was confused. "How did I get hurt? Was I in a fight?" he asked curiously. The crouching god turned to face Zero, his face serious, and Zero understood. He said, "You were in a nasty fight with a Maverick... Luckily Forte was here when we came." The tension in the room eased down a little. "Okay then… So where are we, Forte?" Forte made a look of slight disgust at his old murderer's question. Normally, he didn't allow his foes to speak his name, because when it came out of the enemy's mouth, it lost its luster. Nevertheless, the question must be addressed. The reply came from the other hunter, "We're in Forte's place. Nobody else knows where this is except us." The god was thankful that Zero answered the question, because venom would've poisoned his words.

While Zero was getting X up to things, Forte stood and said promptly," I'm going out. I'll probably be back later." The god looked down, and without moving his body or jumping, fell off of his pillar and landed with a soft thud. Both robots heard a hoverbike revving, then a sonic boom as it accelerated into the night. When he was sure he was gone, X said, still staring at where Forte went, "He's a rather strange Reploid, isn't he?" Zero agreed. X continued, "I've never seen someone like him before… Is he a new model?" "I'm not sure…" Zero counter inquired. "I guess you're right. Hey, let me show you around."

While flying just above the ground on a hoverbike, often you find your thoughts clouded by the speed of your surroundings. Everything becomes a blur; your mind, your body… They seem to leave you, and you feel as though you're flying in a dream. However, Forte had ridden on these ancient things far too long to be affected by a mere feeling. About twenty miles away (he got there in about two minutes,) he came to a stop near a giant pillar of rock. A thousand years ago, there would have been trees too, but those days were long gone. The world was a desert, and the only occasional oasis was a city. The god leapt to the tallest rock and squatted there. This was his place, where he could be alone. He could see the ambient, orange light coming from the silhouetted buildings of a city on the horizon. He flipped out his lighter and lit another cigarette, and even though the smoke couldn't affect him, he felt calmer.

As he sat there smoking and thinking, he saw lights coming from the right. In an instant they were below him. These must be the Mavericks Zero had warned him about. "What do you want?" he called down to him. "We're under orders from ∑ to bring a Forte to him. Is that you?" one Maverick said in a gruff voice which seemed to have an accent Forte couldn't place. Forte took a long drag on his cigarette, then flicked it down to the waiting Mavericks. "Yeah. What do you need me for?" he said gruffly, exhaling the smoke in a huge puff that swirled into nonexistence. This time, a gentler, softer voice said, "Come on down from there." Forte switched to night vision and saw that there were only two people, a woman and a tall, strong man. They had the newest model of hoverbike, and Forte wanted it in his collection. "And who are you to command a god?" he said, his darker, more arrogant side kicking in. "We are many…" came a raspy voice from directly behind him. This had caught the hubristic god by surprise. He went into battle mode, pure power flowing through his veins, ancient instincts guiding him. His pupils started glowing as he turned and grabbed his invisible stalker by the throat. He saw the fear in his eyes. Apparently this "Sigma" had told them stories about Forte's strength and what he was capable of. The raging god threw his captive down toward the others. "We're not gonna hurt you!" the strong one said, and then he emptied a charge into Forte's back. Forte yelled, "Oww! Dammit!!" and fell off of his pedestal onto the hard, rocky ground. Suddenly, an electrical net was hurled about him, and he heard the whine of something charging. He looked up to see a large, metal box set next to him. "Damn…" he said pained, as a powerful EMP struck through him like lightning. He could not move, and the captors holding him down weren't helping. He heard the woman care to the injured one, and he blacked out.

Chapter 4

When he came to, he found he was extremely tired. _Damn,_ he thought. _My battery must be running low._ Soon later did he realize he was in some sort of chair, held in by strong mechanical straps, He sat there, groggy, until later the leader of his captors entered the small, square room. "Hello, Forte." he said, in a calm yet commanding voice. "How are you feeling?" _What a jerk…_ Forte thought. He opened his eyes halfway (that was as far as he could), and replied with a, "Nnngh…" sound. His limbs could only dream of movement. He felt so pathetic and powerless. This was a new feeling for him. The leader looked pissed. "I told you fools not to injure him!" he yelled toward his lackeys. Forte opened his eyes further and saw a really big Reploid with eye markings similar to his. "You think it's easy to get this guy to come quietly!?"The strong Reploid said, making his point clear with his arms. He was sort of tall, with a cape and a black-rimmed hat. However, his face was hidden by shadow, obstructing Forte's view. "Whatever. Run and get a spare battery. He's too tired to talk now." said the leader, who was Sigma. Forte just sat there, useless and weak, slowly wasting away, until at last his captors brought him nourishment. With the battery hooked up, Forte felt his strength returning. He sat upright instead of hunched over like before.

When he was well enough to speak, Forte asked, "Where is this place and why the hell am I here?" Sigma laughed, a deep, hearty laugh, like he'd heard this before. Forte realized how much he sounded like Zero after his fight with X, and smiled too. Sigma said, "Ahh… You see, my forces aren't that strong. I was hoping maybe…you might come to your senses and see to our cause." "…And what exactly would that be?" Forte asked. Sigma laughed. "Oh, surely you've been in the Hunter Base before, right?" The god perked his head up to gaze at his captor. "Maybe I have, and maybe I haven't. I hear information comes at a price nowadays…" Sigma knelt before the chained god. He whispered: "You'll tell me, no matter of cost, alright?" Forte answered this by breaking out of his bonds and standing before the giant Reploid. In that same instant, Sigma grabbed Forte by the throat and slammed him into the wall, shattering the concrete. He then flung Forte into the air above him, and sent him flying downward into the ground, breaking that, too. Forte got up and staggered, and then wiped the blood off of his face. "We're a lot alike, Sigma." Forte said, not yet exhausted. He leaped back onto the wall and pulled out both of his jagged red swords, then jumped straight at Sigma. Then there came the dreadful, heart-wrenching sound of tearing metal. As the god landed behind him, Sigma's severed arm fell to the concrete floor. Sigma turned around, clutching the stub where his arm was, and said, "You're good." Then he hit Forte in the face so hard that he blacked out right on the spot.

"Where is Forte?" X asked. "I haven't thanked him yet." Zero was worried, too, but he didn't show it as prominently. "I guess we could go find him… Did you know he builds things?" X look as if he was curious. "Like what?" he inquired. "Well, I've ridden on some hoverbikes he'd made. They fly really well." Zero got a clever idea. "Do you want to ride 'em?" asked Zero. X got the idea, and he reluctantly agreed. Zero said, "They don't use keys, so we can just take them." X seemed uneasy, now that they were acting out the plan. He pondered, "Forte won't get mad, will he? I hope he doesn't. I don't want him mad at me on my first day here." Zero remembered how lame X could be if he wanted to be. "Ah, he'll understand. Anyway, we're gonna find him!" Zero comforted X with this statement and a friendly smile, like they were both remembering old times.

Forte was awakened by his own coughing. There was a puddle of blood on the floor in the small, square room that held him. He coughed again, this time much harder than the others, and spat some blood out of his mouth. "Oww…" he exclaimed. His sides hurt viciously, and he noticed his arms were held behind his back by some metal fixation melted around them. _Damn,_ he thought. _Curse this Sigma_. He tried to get to his feet, but found that there was a cord keeping him close to the meeting of the wall and floor. A leash. _They put me on a freaking leash_. Now, Forte was pissed off. Then, suddenly, he heard a few clanking sounds coming from the door, and he fell over instantly, feigning sleep. Sigma strolled into the room, but still he stood far from Forte's "sleeping" body. Apparently he had learned not to get too close to the god. He said, "Forte, I know you're awake." Forte made a very obvious snore sound and twitched a little. "Get up." He walked a little closer and kneeled down beside him. "Listen. Don't get harsh feelings, but you need to sit up." He pulled something out and stuck it in Forte's side. He was just wondering what that was when it unleashed a ton of excess electricity into him, making him convulse and shiver. When he stopped moving, Sigma grabbed the fallen god's shoulder and lifted him into a sitting position. What Sigma didn't know was that because he was so old, that power surge only temporarily disabled Forte's senses. However, Forte was a brilliant actor, and pulled it off splendidly. Sigma held Forte's chin between his thumb and fingers, a demeaning and threatening gesture. "Why won't you just cooperate, Forte? It would be so much easier for both of us." _My ass it would_, Forte thought. He wished he had a ciggie. "You were talking earlier. Why won't you talk now?" He coughed again, only this time he spat the blood onto Sigma's face and the leader made an annoyed expression. He stood and wiped the blood off. No more games. "You are to be exposed to the Maverick Virus later. You will become stronger, if that is possible, and I will control you. Together, we will crush those damn Maverick Hunters and unite the world of Reploids! Oh, won't it be wonderful…" Forte was torn. Here was an opportunity for massive power and his dream of Reploid rule. On the other hand, what would Zero think? He had been Forte's only friend, _and_ he was entertaining to fight. Ah, decisions, decisions… He had to formulate a plan.

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, X and Zero were on the hoverbikes, chasing and playing with each other like puppies. Forte would collapse if he saw his creations treated in such a way. X slowed down and reached to his ear. Zero stopped beside him and heard a few pieces of conversation. "What do you mean? No, of course not! I'm speaking to you, aren't I? Well, I'm busy right now. I don't know, tell them whatever you want. I'll call you back. Bye." X ceased talking and Zero knew what it was about. X stared at the ground, contemplating, and then without looking up said, "How long was I gone? The chief of Hunters said I'd been killed by a Maverick in the middle of town." Zero knew the truth would have to reveal itself. Or at least part of it. He said, "There were two Mavericks causing a scene in front of a pocky booth. We just happened to be walking by when it occurred. I tried to stop one, but he cracked my power crystal, and I guess I blacked out. The next thing I knew, I woke up in Forte's lab, completely healed. I thought you had gotten yourself to the medical station in the base, but Forte walked in with you in his arms." True, Zero had made Forte a bit epic, but it sounded better than, 'Forte kicked your lifeless body the full thirty miles here and threw you on the floor.' Up ahead they both saw a small shack somehow supported through the desert winds. The door seemed much too high-tech for an abandoned shack. They circled around and saw a ragged "∑" etched into the side. "Sigma." Zero said, anger rising in his voice. He must have taken Forte. X felt another electrical current approaching inside, and ducked out of the way. The Hunters rushed to the opposite side of the shed. The door opened, and a tall Reploid exited. He had silver hair, flowing to his back, and a saber safely tucked away in his belt. Upon his face lay a red visor. He appeared oblivious to the good Reploid's presence.

At once, however, he turned and pointed his pink, double-edged saber towards X and Zero. "Draw." He said in a calm, commanding voice. It seemed as though he had done this same move many times before. He jumped and landed behind Zero, who quickly dodged away. X fired a single shot at their unnamed attacker's feet, making him yelp. "Oww!!" he yelled. In less time it took lightning to strike the ground, the silver-haired Maverick had X in the air by his throat. In his other hand, he held down X's gun toward the ground, almost pulling his entire arm out of its socket. "If you move, your friend dies." He said to the swordsman. Zero immediately cancelled his dash, which resulted in him falling flat on his face. "Wahh!" he yelled, a cloud of dust surrounding him. "Aww… That was cute, swordsman. By the way, the name's Dynamo."He sounded bored. Zero made a horrified look that was clearly visible in the darkest of night. "Zero." mumbled Zero. "No way… the legendary Hunter Zero? Awesome! Let's just hope that you're fun to battle." said Dynamo, quite arrogantly. He tossed X away, who got up and glared at the arrogant fool. "I don't think this man knows I'm X…" he whispered to Zero. However, Zero was a bit too busy to deal with X's popularity drama right now, quickly avoiding slashes left and right from the mysterious Dynamo. "Where is this place?" Zero yelled to an omnipresent Dynamo, who had disappeared. Right behind him came a voice: "Oh, this is just the Maverick base, full of Mavericks and Sigma's prisoners. By the way, did you know that X is alive? And he has his gun in the back of my neck?" And there he was, X standing on the crouched over back of Dynamo, gun nuzzled snugly in the base of his skull. Dynamo reluctantly kicked his saber away from himself and over to Zero. Dynamo said pompously, "Get off me, X." He stood upright, a full seven feet, and sent X toppling to the ground. He got up and dusted himself off. "Hmm… it was fun playing with you two. You guys are strong; if you keep training, you might even beat me! See you later!" And with that, he picked up his saber and walked off without another word. "Huh." said Zero in a manner of observation. He knew not whether to be annoyed or confused. Neither person knew why Dynamo had let them off so easily. Anyway, they had a mission to accomplish.

They snuck into the shack to find an elevator and a few controls. That was all. Actually, Zero was expecting more from Sigma, like auto turrets or guards. Stupid Sigma. Why couldn't he just die already? Was that too much to ask? As the elevator lowered them into the belly of the beast, Zero couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about Forte and how different he was from the modern day Reploids. And where did he get his facial tattoos? Zero knew one other robot he had seen had markings like his… He couldn't recall who that was, blast it. Just then the elevator abruptly stopped, jostling its passengers. A loudspeaker blared, "All available fighters to the entrance! Intruders have been spotted! Hurry with it!" X looked at Zero and Zero looked at X, and they both got the same idea. Zero hastily pulled out his trusty Saber and activated the blade. The green, glowing edge could slice through anything, including the wall that Zero was decimating at this very moment. Zero avoided the smoldering, red-hot metal that clung to the sides of his newly-made hole and pulled X through. They were in a small pipeline, possibly an air duct or service room. The hall had amazing acoustics, and they could listen in on many conversations going on below them. In one room, they heard one Maverick explain to another how much he hated their uniforms. In another room they listened to a nagging girlfriend rant about how late her boyfriend stayed out at night and came home smelling like a trash can, and the other person in the room, a male, said nervously how he needed to clean his apartment. Zero said to X, "I think these Mavericks are actually good people, but the Maverick Virus just drastically changes them for the worse." X agreed, saying such things like there was still hope for them if they would just listen to reason and visit the Hunter Base and turn themselves in. Zero smiled. This was the X he grew up listening to. Forte was a god of mechanics.

Forte.

They needed to find him as soon as possible, because God only knows what he'll be like when Sigma's through with him. Zero saw what Mavericks would do to strand Reploids. _No_, he thought. _Forte was too strong to be overcome by a few measly Mavericks. Well, unless one of those Mavericks was Sigma._ Zero and X both had witnessed firsthand the carnage that he produced. He tore his way through civilians and Hunters alike, wanting only to end the lives of X and Zero. That was how Maverick strategy was; knock off the head of the snake, and the rest would perish. Then, with no respectable leader to look up to, the Hunters would easily fall to the hands of the Maverick Virus. Sigma was a smart one, and an extremely feral fighter. He knew every maneuver ever used in previous wars and could improvise new ones on the spot. You might say he was the modern Achilles; immortal, a dark messiah of his maverick armies. Now they only had to find his weak point… Certainly, he had one.

Chapter 6

Forte was being dragged somewhere. He couldn't see; they had put a signal jammer in the base of his skull. _Those cheap bastards_… Forte thought. His feet were roughly scraped against the textured ground, swirling eddies of dust about. "Wow"… Forte said feeling and smelling the dust. "Don't you guys have any Maverick janitors?" His comment was answered by a particularly hard kneeing to his stomach. Forte didn't speak again for a while. They finally got to where they were going; completely unaware that Forte had been recording their footfall distance and time. He could easily find his way out, or at least back to his cell. His escorts held him tight as the jammer was removed. The god winced as he felt the rod being slowly pulled out of his neck. Once it was out, his sight returned to him slightly fuzzy at first, then it cleared and he saw before him Sigma. He was donned in a green cape and a metal belt with two sabers. What's up with Reploids and sabers? Forte knew his own double blades could cut through anything; he had crafted them himself. In all reality, they were technically a part of him, extending when he needed them, just like Wolverine's adamantium claws. _Ah, good ol' Marvel_. Sigma cleared his throat, signaling Forte that this was not the time for nostalgias. Sigma said to the restrained god: "You should have joined us earlier. It wouldn't have been so difficult, Forte." As a reply, the god spat on the floor in front of the Maverick leader's feet. Again, he was kicked.

He was promptly lifted and sat gruffly in a kind of chair. Immediately following, his hands were removed from their bonds and retied strongly to the steel alloy armrests. The others in the room quickly left, leaving Forte to study his new surroundings. It was an average holding cell, except there was large, glass looking windows on either side and in front of him. There was a door thing on the ceiling, which opened to reveal…nothing? What the hell was Sigma's problem? He builds up all this suspense, then nothing? Forte laughed. "Is this your whole Mavericky-plot thingy? You beat me, tie me to a chair, and you open a freaking door? Is that supposed to scare me?" However, inside, Forte was uncertain of the great maverick's plans, yet, he still got pissed off at Sigma's behavior. _Is this how all Mavericks were?_ _Ugh_… Something happening on the other side of the glass caught Forte's attention. A scientist in a white lab coat entered, saying things to Sigma and the techie running the operation. The man who entered looked like he hadn't slept for days, or had been in a terrible fight with a hair comb, and lost. The god could just barely see their mouths, but he understood something about "releasing it" and "Zero Nightmare." Zero? Why would he have nightmares? Forte sighed. None of this made any sense. Then it happened.

A translucent copy of Zero manifested itself, almost his reflection (had he been violet), jumped down from the hole in the ceiling and landed a few steps away from the restrained god. Sigma smiled as though he had a hidden trump card and knew he would win whatever game was played. The Zero Nightmare stepped forward to Forte, and pulled out his saber, smiling an evil, sadistic grin, like Forte would be in a lot of pain in the next few moments. At once, Forte felt like there was a burning in his heart. It grew hotter and hotter until he felt he would burst into flames. It spread through his body; now a tingling followed. He started panting as the tingling gave way to liquid power. He felt as though he could do anything. The liquid found its way into his head, and he felt like it was trying to take over. It searched his thoughts, memories, even the feelings he had right now, and nulled them. He felt himself fading away, almost completely taken over by this unknown entity. To the others watching his transformation, it was spectacular. He had acquired a red-purple aura around him, which glowed and pulsed. His eyes glowed red with a power only a god knew, and he was convulsing with enough force to shatter glass. As for the war in his head, the Nightmare was winning. Forte still had conscious thought though, and he fought as hard and fiercely as he could. He couldn't help but notice how easily this thing inside him could assimilate people. Forte wanted this power, and badly. Now the tides were turning. Sigma had made two mistakes: 1) He had not thought of how much stronger Forte would have been since the change, and therefore forgot to strengthen the straps restraining him, and 2) He was Forte, and no one stopped Forte.

He broke free of his bonds, stepped toward the Zero Nightmare, and pounced. In midair, he realized he could semi-shapeshift with this new ability Nightmare had so kindly given him. Forte grew fangs and sunk them into the neck of his startled prey, halting it in its tracks. The Nightmare knew not of how he was defeated, and nor did Sigma. The omnipotent god whipped out both of his red, glowing swords (which now pulsed with excess energy,) and thrust them into the heart of the one who tried to possess him. He immediately sent them out simultaneously horizontal, slicing the Nightmare clean in half. He looked over to Sigma, a devilish smile upon his face, and proceeded licking the blood off of his swords. Sigma couldn't move, except for his shaking fists at his sides and his teeth grinding together. How could Nightmare be killed? He wasn't even freaking tangible!! However, Forte didn't care about the laws of nature. He gazed at the glass barrier, assessing it, and determined his course of action.

Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Zero and X were running through the pipe/hallway/air duct thing. It wouldn't be long until their Maverick stalkers located them. Suddenly, a new, panicked voice came over the intercom "All fighters…if you can still hear me, Run!! Evacuate the base! Grab what you're working on and- no. No!" They heard the sickening crunch of metal twisting and breaking, along with screams and sinister laughter. "Hey, that sounds like Forte!" X said optimistically, while Zero, horrified, was tracing his scars on his arm with his finger, a solemn face and the screams of the torn maverick echoing in his mind. He shuddered and replied that yes it did, and they were off.

They sprinted through the base; through metal halls and wide briefing rooms, until they found smoldering gashes in the walls and bloody smears along the floor. Again, they heard screaming and cruel, sadistic laughter. Without warning, the damaged body of a maverick, leg missing, cuts bleeding, and dents and holes all over him came flying out of a room adjacent to the hallway the Hunters were standing in. They stood there, horrified, as the maverick crawled over to them, desperation and tears in his eyes. "Help…me! Please!! Please…" He reached out his bloody, torn hand and everyone heard a wet, painful sounding clunk from the next room. The fallen soldier gazed over, terrified, and Forte leaped out, lightning fast, and upon landing on him, took a clawed hand and shoved it into the back of the maverick's head, ending him. X gasped and cowered, and Zero had his hand on his Saber, other hand extended toward the Maverick Forte in a cautious pose. Forte saw them and tried to comprehend what he should do next. "Forte, just calm down…okay? Everything's gonna be alright…We're not here to hurt you..."

Forte stood up from his demonic crouch and stared directly at Zero, contemplating what to do. He stood upright, looking directly at the ceiling, his body straight and his hands pointed outward. He started shuddering, and he screamed out in pain, then fell to the ground, panting. The red-purple aura left him, and Zero feared the worst. He stepped over to Forte, who lay there unmoving. Suddenly, he groaned, and Zero jumped. With his arms lifting himself, he slowly sat upright. He was covered in blood that wasn't his own, and was awash in fatigue. His half-open eyes were back to the normal red, no longer glowing. The evil, power high smile that covered his face was gone, replaced by the normal, smug grin that usually resided there, but now it was pained. He got back on his feet carefully, but still Zero and X remained tense. Forte realized what they were thinking, and coolly said, "It's okay now; the Virus has left me. You won't catch it, I think." The truth was that Forte still had quite a large reserve of it stored inside him, and he was able to harness and control its power at will, but they didn't need to know that just yet. He could activate it when he wanted to, but he didn't know whether or not he could infect other Reploids. The three robots walked toward the exit, Forte still coughing up blood from when Sigma beat him.

They rode the hoverbikes across the plains, X and Zero on one, with Forte on his own, following them. The Hunters and Forte were headed for Abel city, the home of the famous Dr. Cain, with hopes that he could fix the fallen god. For five hours they rode, until finally they neared the gates. X called Cain, and told him what was going on, and the gatekeeper gave them passage. Forte was tense as they walked through the packed city streets. He didn't like being in crowds, and there were hundreds of humans and Reploids alike here. He got many stares and looks from passersby because he was so different from them, or maybe it was the blood and scars all over him. There were tall buildings with super speedways winding through them, and it looked like a lively little city. The damaged robot hurried up to Zero. "I don't like it here," he said, shivering. "It's too crowded." Forte must have looked timid, because X tried to console him, which led to a shaking Forte. They saw the gates of Dr. Cain's lab, and walked in. Cain turned in his chair to face them and upon seeing Forte, stood and walked closer. "Hmm…" he said; his face much too close to Forte for comfort. He looked the injured god over, and in several places, pulled out a magnifying glass to take a closer look. "Well, you're injured all right…" he said, after a few minutes of probing. Forte felt strange, like he was experiencing déjà vu of an earlier time where he entered a lab and someone looked him over for injuries. Dr. Cain walked over to a nearby table and scribbled something onto a sheet of paper. Forte, bored, pulled out a cigarette and his lighter and began to smoke. Cain turned saw the tiny flame and said, "Hey! Put that out! There's no smoking in here." Forte shrugged and put the burning end out on the back of his hand, a line of smoke rising from the ashes. Cain glanced over again to see where Forte had put the ashes, and came over from his paperwork. "What are you doing? Doesn't that hurt?" he said quickly, scolding Forte. "No, not really. Actually, I can't feel anything on this arm." Cain wondered a minute, and said, "I'd like to run some tests on you. Is that okay?" Forte down looked at his injured mass and reluctantly agreed.

They all moved into the laboratory marked "Lab Two." Cain motioned for X and Zero to sit on some chairs in the room, while Forte stood. "Okay, Forte, is it?" He nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to move this arm straight out as far as you can." Forte did so, and his hand went limp. "Ow." he said emotionlessly. Cain looked over to the point where the connection was lost. There was a small, but deep gash at the base of his shoulder, and it was sparking. "Forte, I've found the part I need to fix, and I need you to lie down over here, okay?" Forte did so, but he seemed unsettled. He had lived by his own rules for so long that following orders was a bit difficult for him. Cain grabbed his surgical kit and started working on his shoulder. Forte grimaced a few times, but a few minutes later he got up and could move his arm just fine. It appeared Cain was also a god of mechanics. Suddenly, Forte entered a coughing fit, sending blood all over the floor. He wiped the blood off of his mouth and looked to Dr. Cain with a scared, worried expression. Cain sighed. "I think this would be easier if you weren't awake. Can you power down here, or do you need help?" Forte pondered a moment. The idea appalled him. He loathed to be defenseless in front of people, and was going to fight it as long as possible. "No, I'm fine. I don't need any help." he said, rebelliously.

Cain looked to Zero, and he rose. Forte could feel Zero behind him, and tensed. Cain was preparing some sort of device on the back table. "I'm fine. You stay away from me…" Forte said warningly. "Now!" Cain yelled, and Zero grabbed Forte from behind, holding his arms away from his sides. Forte broke free, and spun to kick Zero in the face, sending him backwards into X. Both of Forte's red blades appeared, startling Cain and filling him with wonder of how that was possible. Now, Forte was in the middle of the room, blades out and ready to strike. Zero tried comforting him, saying, "Calm down Forte…He just wants to help." Forte yelled back, "I don't need any help! I'm perfectly fine!!" Ironically, he had another coughing fit, which gave Zero enough time to jump on him and pin him to a table. Cain stuck the large needle into his back, and Zero leapt off. He stumbled backwards, and wobbled a little bit. "I don… nee… any…" he slurred, and fell to the ground, unconscious. His jagged blades disappeared and blood dripped from his mouth. "How do his swords work?" Cain asked, perplexed but curious. "I have no idea…" Zero replied. Zero wouldn't mind to know, either. Zero knelt beside him and pulled out the tranquillizing rod. He then tried to lift him onto the worktable, but found he was extremely heavy. "X, come help me." he said. Together, they got Forte's mass onto the table. Cain wanted the Reploids out so he could work, but they insisted they stayed.

About an hour into the surgery, Cain gasped and yelled, "Zero! Come here! There's something I need to show you!" He jumped out of the seat and hurried over. "Do you see this chip here?" he said, pointing to a small chip inside Forte's chest. "It's the same chip that's inside you, Zero! You two were made by the same person." Zero put his hand to his chest; then the memories came.

Chapter 8

He remembered still being built; the pain and darkness that he felt and saw. He looked out of the glass covering his pod, and saw Forte. "Bass, get over here." he heard an old man say. All the words that were spoken outside of his pod seemed muted, like they were coming from underwater. "What is it, Wily?" Bass asked, half mean and half sarcastic. "How's he-," The man coughed terribly. "How's he doing? Is everything coming along alright?" "Yeah, Wily. He's fine. You forgot to give him legs, though. I think he'd appreciate those." "Shut up, Bass. I'll get to it later. Any news on Mega man?" Some shuffling noises. "Well, I kicked his ass yesterday. Treble's hurt pretty bad, but since you suck so badly at fixing him, I did it." "Dammit, Bass, don't criticize my work! One more word and I'll retire you." Zero heard the metallic clunks that must have been Bass' walking getting louder. "Whatever." Bass yelled back to his creator. He pressed a button by the door and it closed, completely shutting off any sound from the other side. Now Zero could see Bass' face. There were no visible scars, but the purple streaks were still there. He smiled kindly. "Hi, Zero." he said, almost caringly. "You're not finished yet, but I bet you can hear me. I'm Bass, your brother. Listen: You are a new kind of robot who can think for himself, a Reploid. People will fear you as they fear me, and you will be strong. But there is one other robot like you right now. His name is Mega man X. You are to destroy him. It's what I've tried to do, but Dr. Light's security is too strong. In the future, thirty years from now, you and he will awaken. Our creator and X's will be gone by then, but I don't know what will happen to me. It's you I'm worried about. Face it; Wily sucks at programming robots. I'll probably die when he dies because of the failsafe chip inside me that prevents me from killing him, but you don't have that. You'll…."

The memory ended there, and X poked him in the back. "You okay, Zero?" he asked, consoling him. "Yeah. How's Bass doing?" X looked confused. "Who's Bass?" he said. Zero recalled that X wasn't present in his reverie. Zero replied, "That's Forte's true name. I just remembered it. Well, his model name was DRW-01-XX, but that's not really relevant." Cain discontinued working on Bass and spun around to face them in his chair, interested in the conversation. "What else do you remember?" Zero thought for a moment. "He's not a Reploid. He was built at least 150 years before now. He was built by Dr. Wily, the same as me. People feared him for the reason that he was new and strange to them." X and Cain were amazed. "Well how has he lived this long? Hmm… I guess I could try to read his memories to learn what happened, but…" Bass' head rolled over to the side, and his eyes opened halfway. "Zero… I remember you now. That old bastard…" His eyes closed again, and his breathing regulated. X smiled. "Ha! I guess I was right in saying he was strange." Zero glared at him.

Later, after Cain patched him up, the drowsy god awoke. He rolled over, and off the edge of the bench, awaking with a start. He sprung to his feet, swords out in an instant, and stood, swaying. He collapsed onto a chair beside him and mumbled, "Urgh…" He sat there rubbing his temple for a moment, recollecting what had happened. Evoking what was done to him, he perked up, looked at Cain, and said, "You cheap bastard…You knocked me out!" He lunged forward as to attack, but instead fell over. "Dammit…" he mumbled, and passed out on the floor. His blades disappeared again. Zero sighed, and then smiled. "Does this happen to everyone after you've fixed them?" Cain laughed. "No, not always. I think it's because Bass isn't the type of robot the tranquillizer was intended for. He might stay like this for a while." "Oh, this'll be fun…" said X, laughing.

Sigma and the remaining Mavericks were riding away from the ruined base. Sigma was furious. "How in hell did he defeat the Nightmare?! You said it was perfect!!" he yelled to the technician. "Commander Sigma, I had no time to prepare Nightmare for him! He was much too strong!" he pleaded with the merciless leader. Sigma didn't believe him, and he knew it. Instantly, Sigma activated one of his Sabers, and thrust it into the techie's chest. The dying maverick looked down to the burning hole, and was kicked off the end of it. He fell off the speeding hovercraft and was lost in the dusty trail.

Meanwhile, Forte was ever so slowly regaining consciousness. He could sit upright and talk, but walking was out of the question. Bass never liked being kept in one place unless he could leave when he wanted. He kept telling everyone that he was fine, and trying to get up. To remedy this, X and Zero had tied him to the rails on either side of his bed. He didn't like this place at all. "Hey, why am I still here?! I'm freaking fine! Let me go, you Nazis!!" was a common thing to hear in the hallway outside Bass' room. However, nobody really knew what a Nazi was, or its designated function.

Forte didn't dare use the Zero virus; he knew he was too weak to fight it now, and he would probably be taken over completely if he tried to use it. However, it was still safely tucked away somewhere only he could find it. Suddenly, Forte turned his head toward the window, staring out of it intensely. He appeared to be looking for something. "What's that sound?" he said loudly, grabbing the attention of X. He stood and walked over, putting his ear to the glass. Zero awoke and got out of the chair he was sleeping in to see what was going on. "So what are we looking at?" Zero asked. Bass answered: "I thought I heard something… like a roar or something outside…" Bass fought back a smile and laughter. While his two guards were gazing out the window, Forte was sawing through the cords keeping him in place. "I think I hear it now!" said X. _Pathetic_… _They're so gullible…_ the clever god thought. "Wait! I hear it again!" Bass suddenly screamed to Zero. "Look harder! Do you see anything?" X was hyper now, his Hunter instincts kicking in. "Maybe we should go check it out," X said. "There might be someone hurt down there!" _Sure…_ Forte thought. _Go and look. Just leave me be… _"Alright. Stay here, Bass." Zero said to him, and then they both ran out of the room.

Once he had cut the cords, Forte stood, and judged his balance completely restored. He found his cloak lying on a table near the wall, and picked it up and put it on. He slinked right to the wall near the door, and slowly peered out. The hallway was clear. He casually stepped into the abandoned hallway, just in time to see Cain come out of an elevator. Bass looked straight at Cain, then to the window, then back to Cain, who was calling Zero via cell phone. _Damn!_ he thought. At once, X appeared in the same doorway, and then ran towards the wary god. Not knowing what to do, Bass turned and jumped through the window, plummeting a full 200 feet to the earth. X looked down just in time to see Forte land on his feet like a cat, his powerful legs absorbing the momentum of his fall. X looked back to Cain, and said, "What should I do, Dr. Cain? Do I chase him?" Cain laughed. "It's alright X. Zero's down there waiting as we speak. There's no way Bass can pass him." They both heard a "manly" scream and saw a giant ball of light green plasma shoot up past the window. Next came maniac, victorious laughter, and then a hoverbike starting, and then growing softer as it left the plaza.

A minute passed, and Zero climbed through the broken window, and fell on the floor, his backside smoking. "Oww…" he said, in a dazed, but gruff voice. X helped him up and said, "How many weapons does Forte have on him?! It's insanity! Was he built as a domestic robot or a weapon of mass destruction?!" X and Cain helped Zero limp over to the elevator. "All is not lost." Cain said quite optimistically. "Yeah, but Bass is." replied X, a bit too sarcastically for his personality. "Actually," corrected Cain. "While he was out, I installed a satellite transmitter in him. We can find out where he is right now, if you want." That caught X's interest. "Really? But wait… isn't that illegal?" he said, surprised. Cain thought a moment. "Let's say it was necessary. Bass was a danger to himself and others, so I thought it best to tag him." Zero smiled from his bed. "Of course. Everything's fine just because you're a doctor." he said, with some poorly hidden sarcasm showing. Cain laughed.

Chapter 9

Once Zero could walk on his own, they all strode into the research part of Cain's lab, and looked around. Cain knew where he was going, but the Reploids didn't. They wandered around the giant room, marveling at everything in view. There were fantastic pieces of machinery strewn about, and research papers and scientific reports sticking lazily out of file cabinets. On some worktables were schematics for another possible Reploid and a few prototypes of new kinds of armor. It was truly an amazing sight.

"Over here," said Cain, struggling against explaining what every little gadget did and trying to focus on keeping on the task at hand. "Here's my supercomputer. It has, I believe, 43 terabytes of free memory and 2,000 gigabytes of RAM. I could run one of your "conscience" programs on here, completely lag-free!" Before the Reploids was the biggest tower of cables and metal Zero and X had ever seen. "I built it myself. I call it Omega." Cain stood there, proud and gloating. Everyone waited for Cain to become normal again, and out of his trance. "So when can we track down Forte?" said X, breaking the silence. "Oh…right…" said Cain in a moment of embarrassment. Zero rolled his eyes. The doctor pressed a few buttons and messed with some doodads, and a blinking dot appeared on the screen. "…and, done! See? It says he's still right outside, no, on the gate to this city. Hmm… He is awfully strange. I'd like to study him, if only he would let me." X nodded, and, with Zero, he walked toward the door. "Thanks, Dr. Cain! See you later!" he said, waving. "Goodbye X and Zero. Come again soon!" They continued out of Cain's lab, and then they were outside.

"Zero, I see him!" He's up there on the ledge!" X said. Zero looked, and sure enough, there was Bass. He was crouching, a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He must have felt their stare, for he turned and looked at them, coldly. Zero noticed that somehow he had also gotten his stolen hoverbike up the wall. _He must be really strong… _Zero thought. _Why was he holding back when we fought? _Instantly, Forte turned and looked back, away from the city and out into the desert. For a whole minute he stood there, completely still, until he heard or saw something. Then, he activated his swords and mounted the hoverbike. He looked at Zero, pointed to the desert, and rode right off the edge of the 100 foot wall, cape fluttering as he went over the ledge. "Come on, X!" yelled Zero, running to a hoverbike rental store. The owner stood outside, protecting his wares. He did not want to have another one stolen. X realized this and flashed his Hunter ID. "Mavericks were spotted outside the city. Can we borrow a bike?" The storekeeper quickly nodded and removed the chains on two hoverbikes; one red, and the other blue. X, of course, chose the blue one, leaving Zero on the red. They sped out of the gate, sending civilians diving out of the way of the seemingly crazed riders.

The desert winds were fierce today, and sand obstructed the hunters' course. "Dammit! We'll never find him in this weather!" said a very frustrated Zero. Suddenly, as if on command, the wind died down a little, giving the Reploids a clear view of their fugitive. Bass was speeding away from the city, and appeared to be chasing something. He dodged left and right, then without warning, a stray plasmic shot whizzed past him, barely grazing his arm. His steering got the force of the blow, and trying to stay upright on the bike was now a Herculean task. Another shot echoed through the wasteland, this time hitting Forte's hoverbike straight on. Forte tried to jump off, but the explosion was too rapid; the bike (and the rider) were consumed in a giant, black cloud of smoke and sand. Zero stopped, eyes wide with horror. Now they had a clear sight of the attacker.

Sigma. He was standing on an industrial moving truck, his plasma gun extended and smoking. And he wasn't alone. With him were a few Mavericks, one driving, a few holding onto the rails on the sides, and a few others manning mounted plasma chain guns. Dynamo stood, face in profile, next to the leader. As usual, he had a smug grin on his face, only today it didn't seem as arrogant, like he was hiding another emotion. Sadness, perhaps? Sigma simply smiled. He put his gun away and paced over to the driver, who then floored it. In the next moment, they were gone, and the only remainders of their visit lay smoking on the ground.

The Reploids dismounted and ran over to the blackened mass. Kneeling, they saw the damage done. Bloody and burnt, Forte just laid there, still and silent, on his back upon the dusty ground. There was soot and blood all over his face and hands, and his left arm was torn open. "Bass…" Zero said mournfully. X put his arm around the solemn Hunter and said, "I'm sorry, Zero. There was nothing we could have done…" Just then, Forte started coughing, and sat up halfway before falling over again. "Oww…" he said in a raspy voice. Zero perked up and looked to the broken god. "Bass?" he said, happy and confused simultaneously. "Ugh…what now? Go away." he said, wearily. He opened his eyes, and the left eye stayed half closed. He started to say something, but he had a coughing fit and blood spilled out of his mouth. X gasped, and Zero called the Hunter Base. "Yeah. This is Zero and X. We just ran into Sigma. Yeah. We have a casualty. No, we're fine. But he was on a hoverbike and it exploded, and he's badly hurt. Send backup. I'm breaking connection." was the dialogue passed between Zero and the Base.

No more than ten minutes later, emergency vehicles showed. Iris hopped out of the back of the ambulance, arms open, and ran toward Zero. "Zero!" she cried. "It's been a while since I saw you last!" She wrapped her arms around the crimson Reploid, and then ran over to join her brother, Colonel. As Forte was being brought to the ambulance, Colonel stole a glance down to him. He stared at the damaged robot with a look of loathing upon his face. Only when Forte was out of the tall Reploid's sight did he turn and look at Zero. He wiped his face free of the hatred and smiled kindly at the Hunter. Colonel said, "Where've you been, Zero? It's been peaceful without you." Zero laughed and replied, "I know I've been gone a while… but I'm back now! We should train again, Colonel." _Damn…_he thought. _I knew I'd have to explain myself eventually. _

As the ambulance drove away, it started swerving. "What the hell?" exclaimed Zero, eyes cast in the direction of the usurping. A Reploid-sized dent extruded from the side of the van, and it stopped abruptly. The back doors flew open, and a healing Reploid was thrown from it. Forte stepped out, awkwardly limping, and with his functional arm grabbed the throat of the escapee. The Hunters (and Iris) ran over to the scene, panic-stricken. Zero yelled to the injured god, "Forte! What are you doing?! They're trying to save you!" Forte looked over, still holding his hostage, and replied in a harsh voice, "I can fix myself. They don't know my inner workings as well as I do. I'm not risking my body by placing it under the care of these fools! How do you think I survived all these years? Did anyone help me?" He threw down his hostage and limped back to the van. He emerged a few moments later with a medical kit and some tools. He sat on the ground next to his hostage, who was shivering despite the heat. He remained there on the sandy desert floor, both shivering and sweating in the desert heat. Whenever a Hunter got close to him, Forte stood with his swords out, one at the neck of his Reploid captive.

Chapter 10

About an hour later, Forte flexed his recently dysfunctional arm. Almost satisfied, he walked over to the abandoned ambulance and tipped it over using just his newly remodeled arm. He marched back to his hostage and stood over him, and the Reploid threw up his hands to dodge the blow, expecting to die that moment. To the contrary, Forte said, "Go. I'm done with you," and waved his hostage off. The newly freed Reploid ran back to the Hunters who were waiting some 20 yards away. They sent Zero over to Forte's territory to see if it was safe. Zero saw that Forte's eye was still damaged. "Hey, are you alright now? You're not gonna snap on me, are you?" Zero asked cautiously. Forte jumped and looked at the waiting Hunter, then smiling, said, "No. I'm fixed now... Well, except my eye, but I require my personal tool kit for that. I'm bloody as ever, but I can clean up when we get to your Base. No one will work on me unless I have a say in it." Zero sighed with relief. "Well, we're leaving now, so you'd better-"

There was a painful scream, sounding from where the others were waiting, followed by yelling and crashing. Zero and Forte hurried to where the commotion was coming from, to see Forte's former hostage shaking and growling. Zero recognized the symptoms easily. "Run!!" he yelled to the other Reploids. "He's going Maverick! Get away from him!" The fresh Maverick looked at its new surroundings, and stared straight at Iris, like he was selecting his new victim. He started lurching toward her in his awkward movement, growling a throaty sound. Alert quickly rose in Zero as he realized how dire the situation was. He jumped and landed in between the maverick and Iris, saber drawn and fist clenched. The maverick knew this was Zero, but he continued on his death march to end the Hunter, totally unable to stop himself. The Nightmare had complete control of him now. He raised his gun to Zero and fired a shot, and Zero nimbly dodged it, pulling Iris to him. "Are you okay?" he asked her worriedly. She nodded and gasped. The maverick was upon him now, getting Zero in a choke hold. Colonel noticed Iris and Zero and dashed forward to whisk his sister out of harm's way.

With Iris safe, Zero could do more dangerous maneuvers, like falling back onto his Maverick duelist, which he promptly did. Iris screamed a warning, "Be careful, Zero! Don't get injured!" Zero dashed away from his foe and smiled and nodded to his female companion. Meanwhile the former Hunter was inching closer to the unsuspecting Zero. The maverick leaped onto Zero, knocking them both to the ground. Zero held him back with all of his strength, but that was fading fast. The red swordsman held the Maverick's hands away from himself, but he was slowly getting his fanged mouth to Zero's neck. X stood away; making sure that everyone was alright and unhurt. _Damn…_ Zero thought quickly. _If I don't throw him off now-_ Suddenly, the Maverick screamed as his head left his shoulders and fell to the ground beside Zero. For a moment the hunter lay there, panting and gasping. The dead Maverick in his hands fell limp as the electricity buzzed from his neck. Forte stood some feet away, both swords out, and his cloak blowing in the wind. Blood dripped from his left sword and he turned to look back at the fallen Hunter. The crowd of Reploids just gazed on with disbelief and horror. Zero got up and dusted himself off, then walked over to Forte. "Umm…thanks. I guess I'd have died if not for you."Zero said his thanks to Forte, who just stood there without moving or saying anything. He knew what would happen now.

Now the word was out. Forte had the Maverick Virus. And it was transmittable. Forte was escorted to the Hunter Base via his own van. He still had his freedom, but people at the Base treated him like a Maverick. He was taken to Dr. Doppler, who had studied the Zero Nightmare for years now, and understood it better than most. Forte was given his own room, which was like a cell to him. His room had a small cot and a door like one you would see in a quarantine ward or mental institution. It reminded him of when Sigma had him kidnapped. A scientist with hair similar to someone he once knew walked out of the lab next door and into Bass' cell. He stood in the doorway, and smiled kindly. Bass felt as though he were guarding the door and keeping him here; he interpreted the man standing there as a threat, and tensed. "Hello there. I'm Dr. Doppler. What's your name?" Forte just stared at the ground, wanting to be out and free again. Doppler didn't care for silence, while Forte longed for it. Attempting to break the sacred silence, Doppler calmly said, "So you have the Maverick virus, huh? You're different from the other Reploids I've had here before. Can you control it?" Bass nodded and said quietly, "I have it stored somewhere. I am stronger than it, and can therefore use it only when I want to." Doppler laughed. "That's amazing! I'd like to study you further." At this Forte raised an eyebrow, still not looking at his converser. "It's okay," Doppler continued. "I'm immune to it. It doesn't affect me. Are you the same way?" Bass finally looked at him, filled with surprise and anticipation but not showing it. "Is there a cure?" was all he said. Bass already knew the answer, but he had to hear it from someone else, if only to know he wasn't the only one with high hopes. Doppler sighed, and said, "I'm looking for one now. Perhaps if I could analyze what makes you so resilient, I could replicate it and…" He became engrossed in his thoughts, and paced to and fro within the cell, occasionally scratching his beard or cocking an eyebrow. He mumbled things, and shook his head, seemingly contradicting himself.

After a while, the waiting became unbearable. Forte stood and walked out of his cell, leaving Doppler to his thoughts, completely oblivious to Forte's leaving. Doppler's lab was impressive. It was large, and resembled a small gymnasium. Medium-sized air ducts hung from the ceiling. They appeared just large enough for someone to crawl through with a little headroom. There were various tools lying out, and a large storage area with different kinds of metal on shelves. Forte sat on a bench in front of a long, flameproof worktable, and started surveying the new apparatus he had at his disposal. Meanwhile, Doppler was awakening from his moment of intellectual genius and returning to the physical world of reality. He walked out into the lab where Forte sat at the table, something metal in his arms. As Doppler neared Bass, the mechanical god turned to look at him, revealing what he had been building.

In his hands lay a prototype of his own CPU. Doppler marveled at its construction, made in minutes from some of the materials he never knew would support high processing power. "How did you- When did you- That's extraordinary! How in the world did you do that so quickly?" To answer this, Forte just said, "I've lived a long life. I've learned how to repair myself over the years. I think I've even improved my creator's design somewhat." Forte connected some power cables to his handmade device and it made a low whirring sound. Doppler was absolutely amazed. "What else have you done?" he asked quickly. Forte smiled and stood, pushing objects to the walls and giving him a ten square foot of clear space. At once his red jagged blades appeared, making a "sching" sound as they materialized. Bass then slashed a huge gash in the floor, wide enough so they could see the Reploids in the room below. Doppler was delighted. "Who was your creator? He must have been famous!" he said. Forte stood there, his smile slowly fading. "He wasn't the best." Forte said after a long pause. "There was one better, who made the Reploid I was created to destroy. My creator saw the potential that Reploid had, and had me steal the designs for him. He then built his own. Its name was DRW-02-XX. Now they call him Zero." Doppler collapsed into a chair, enthralled, trying to absorb this new information. "So that's the legend of Zero, huh? I always wondered where he came from. I'd never guess you two were brothers, though you do carry a similarity." At that Bass looked at the doctor. "What's the similarity?" he asked, inquisitively. Doppler sighed. "You are both amazingly strong and excellent swordsmen. There's one gap in the timeline, however…" Forte tensed. The Reploids on the floor below hadn't noticed the hole in their ceiling yet. The ancient robot, with a face of questioning, looked to Doppler for the answer. "No one knows anything about you. It's like… well; you're not like any Reploid I've ever seen. By the way, when were you made?" Forte found this question troubling. He hesitantly answered him. "200X…"

"But that would make you 200 years old! How on Earth are you still breathing?" Forte smiled at Doppler's mix of emotions. "I'm made of Fortinum, which was discovered by my creator. Damn, I can't remember what his name was…" Just then the steel door opened, and Zero stepped into the lab. Doppler rose, a sign of respect. Forte still sat on the bench before the table, being his rebellious self. Zero leaned against the doorframe, hands crossed over his chest. "So… any progress on the Virus?" he asked. Doppler's face turned red with embarrassment, and he scratched the nape of his neck. "Well… not exactly... Hey, look what Forte made!" said Doppler, turning the conversation away from his fault. Zero strolled over, rolled his eyes, and gently laughed. He saw the thing Forte held. "That's neat. What is it?" Doppler looked at Zero with an expression that could only be interpreted as irritation and annoyance. He picked up an aluminum rod and held it over Zero's head, and then brought it down with such force that it actually shattered. Zero, in pain, stepped away from the crazy scientist, holding his "wound". "Oww! What the hell was that for?!" he quickly yelled. Doppler turned away from him, eyes closed and still annoyed. "How could you not know what a CPU looks like?! God, you're the Reploid that's done the most work on yourself! You should know!" Bass sat, listening to their quarrel. He found it rather amusing, and lightly smirked.

As the swordsman and the scientist fought, Bass activated the Nightmare. He sent it to his right hand, which tingled wherever it touched, then into his homemade CPU, making it glow. Now, the Reploids turned away from their clash, attracted to the shimmering mass of hardware. Doppler kept Zero back with one hand, careful not to let them touch for fear that Zero might become infected. Zero would be impossible to restrain if he acquired the Virus. Forte cautiously took another wire and plugged it into his neck peripheral. He winced at the second of pain as the connection was established, then his eyes dimmed and the color and turned pseudo opaque. For a minute he sat there, face and fingers occasionally twitching as he explored his copied CPU, until finally he reached back and unplugged the cord. He gasped, and his eyes returned to their normal color. Forte smiled, proud of his invention, and said to Doppler, "Well, it's the same as my current CPU, and I installed the Maverick Virus into it. It's all yours, Doppler."

Chapter 11

Doppler stepped over and sat on the bench next to Forte, who promptly rose and stepped away, trying to keep to himself. It was all Doppler could do to stop from squealing like a fanboy from his poorly contained excitement. He grabbed a tool kit from across the hard, metal table and pulled a pair of welding goggles down over his face. The smile residing on his face was unmatched, even by a child gazing onto the world's supply of candy and toys and surrounded by puppies. Bass turned to face his room, then started toward it, but he was interrupted by Zero standing there in the doorway, casually blocking his path. "What are you doing, Zero?" Forte asked wonderingly. Zero didn't answer, but rather, when Forte tried to pass him, he hastily put his arm or foot out in order to better obstruct the path. After a while the crimson swordsman just smiled at Forte the way he smiled at him so many weeks before when he craved a challenge. Zero crossed his arms over his chest and said smugly, "Bass, I'm bored. Get your swords out and let's go to the training room." Bass was surprised at first, but then his face was possessed by a devilish smile which represented acceptation. Doppler was still minding his own work and didn't even notice the two robots leave.

Along the way, Forte had a question on his mind, a lingering thought. Zero sensed his silence and answered the question before Forte could open his mouth. "No, I won't be infected with the Virus. It was made with a piece of me, so I think I'm invulnerable to it." Forte was shocked. How could Zero determine what his question was and answer it so completely?! The swordsman just smiled and led the way to the training hall, avoiding the most populated passageways. Suddenly Zero stopped and raised his hand to his ear, nodding to an omnipresent person. Bass realized that Zero was replying to a caller who had paged him. Bass was perplexed, and it was clearly shown on his face. "How do your communicators work?" he asked, seeking knowledge of new mechanical devices. "Umm, I don't really know…" answered Zero, also perplexed. "I think Doppler knows. You could always get one installed. Actually, I think you should. They're pretty nifty." Bass shrugged and continued walking with a "blah" expression upon his face. "Hey, we're here! Okay, batteries are over there, and other various things are that way. Just help yourself; we're all friends here." Forte looked at Zero, fighting the tears welling up in his eyes. Zero smiled kindly, and Forte had never felt so welcome in his long life.

The training hall was a huge, well-lit room with bleacher-like stands along one wall, climbing nearly halfway to the steel beam-supported ceiling. There lingered remnants of previous battles on the floor; a scratch there, a gash here. The entire hall rang with echoes of lost battles and victorious winners. There were a few Reploids at the far end of the hall, casually talking as though they had not even seen their comrade taken out by a team of medics, howling with pain as he had been torn in half. The Maverick Hunters were extremely good medics, so he would probably be fine. Probably. Zero selected a spot far from the other Reploids and the walls to avoid collateral damage. One of the Reploids, a C-class, caught a glimpse of Zero brandishing his saber, and alerted the others he was talking to of the event. Soon, all the eyes in the room were on Zero and Bass, who were preparing for their duel. The intercom sounded before the battle commenced, and the hall flooded with Reploids and humans alike, all craving a good fight scene. Bass scowled upon seeing the humans, and then the war begun.

Forte looked at Zero, popped his swords out of their resting place, and stood there, smirking devilishly, as though he expected this fight to be an easy win. Zero activated his Saber, and instantly the green translucent blade materialized from the golden hilt. At once Zero and Bass both leaped into the air, swords clashing with saber, and they landed opposite their starting positions. Zero turned and dashed toward Bass lightning quick, and the god answered this by jumping into the air and performing a backflip, landing behind the dashing Zero. Zero turned, awe-stricken, and dash-jumped far above Bass and sliced his saber through the air, thinking of the words that will send powerful energy forward in a condensed form. Then, an awesome wave of energy plummeted downward toward a very surprised Forte, evolving into a forest- hued crescent.

Forte hastily dodged; however the wave scarred the metal floor with a huge gash and burn marks where it dissipated. Forte smiled and retaliated with his double ring attack. Zero quickly dashed forward, an instinct, and caused both wheels to spin completely around him. The crowd cheered as Zero put his Saber in front of his chest; arms outstretched, and added a burst of speed to his run. Bass jumped and the crimson bot lost his balance, leaving Zero flat on his face once again. After landing from his flip perfectly on his feet like a smooth gust of wind, Forte's swords formed into two identical short busters, which both started charging. "What the-?" was all Zero could manage as the two fully charged balls of plasma hit him, sending him flying through the air to land thirty feet away on his face. "Interesting backflip, my friend." Bass yelled to his downed opponent, who was still recovering sane thought.

A few human girls shouted encouraging words to Zero, who then rose, with a look of vigorous fury upon his face. Bass smiled again, and dashed forward straight into Zero's path. The two collided, sparks flying from both. Forte grabbed Zero by the throat and threw him dangerously close to the ceiling. Zero spun downward to face his opponent, but he was gone. Suddenly, from behind, there was Forte, who kicked Zero the remaining distance into the floor, where he stuck. Forte landed effortlessly next to him, and kicked him out of his hole, then jumped away. Zero shook small bits of concrete from his long, golden hair, and then stared right at Bass. Anyone in the room could tell that he was pissed. "Well, isn't this _fun_, Zero?" Bass said to him in the same tone that brought memories of his encounter with Dynamo. Zero yelled, pure rage in his voice, then dash-jumped at Bass, catching him off guard. Forte lay on his back, Zero towering over him, saber at his throat. Forte started laughing. His laughter grew louder until Zero told him, "I'm not falling for that old-," Forte didn't let him finish, but rather, grabbed his leg and spun him around, then tossed him over the frightened crowd and into the room's wall, getting him stuck there too. Zero pushed himself out, and fell to the ground, landing harshly on his side. "Urgh…you win, Forte…" he managed to mumble. Bass smiled, and helped Zero back to his feet. X entered the room, and he wore an expression of extreme worry upon his face. "Zero, there's been sightings of-,"

Suddenly, the alarm bell went off, an infuriating tone, signaling that Mavericks were nearing the base. "Damn! Now?" Zero yelled. The people inside the training room scattered in fear. Forte stood there; he needed to think. Again, a warning bell rang, and Zero could hear shots being fired elsewhere in the building. "Everyone get down!" Zero yelled to the frantic, scared mass. X tried to calm the masses. Zero ran over to the door switch and hit "lockdown," which shut all the doors leading to this room, and sealed them with a missleproof barrier. It wasn't soundproof though, so they heard the desperate cries from the Reploids and Mavericks in the hall. Zero made a sad grimace when he heard the screams. Forte awoke from his trance to be delighted at the humans' fear. He smiled, and then remembered his encounter with Sigma. _This will not end well…_ he thought.

Chapter 12

A short while later, Zero turned just as a pounding rang from the door. He immediately recalled the proper code for an intrusion, and ran to the metal shield, his saber at the ready. "Come on out, little humans…" they heard from behind the door. _So these are the new Mavericks…_ thought Zero. Then he recognized the voice. "Colonel?!" he yelled to the other side with disbelief. Silence. Now the conversation was brought to Forte's attention. "I've heard that before…" he said completely calmly, with no expression on his face. They heard a whirring and saw smoke rise from the center of the steel door. Before either knew what was going on, the door burst open, flooding the hall with Mavericks. Zero heard a sickening crunch, and the smoke cleared. Colonel held Forte in the air by his throat, and he just hung there limply, like a rabbit hanging from a dog's jaw. Zero jumped in time, and therefore dodged the assault. He stood some twenty feet away from Colonel and his hostage. "Colonel, what are you doing?!" he yelled. "You see, Zero, there's no hope for the humans. They are a self-replicating virus, and we are the antidote. We at Repliforce believe in a world for just Reploids. If you choose to stand in our way, you will be annihilated." replied the tall Reploid with a Spanish accent. Zero knew that Colonel wouldn't listen to reason, but he went against his intuition and told him anyway, "But there's no place for just Reploids! It's only a fantasy! Both you and I know that's not possible!" "Hmph…" replied Colonel.

Now Bass was regaining his movement, and he felt fuzzy. He didn't move, but he felt the life returning to him. _Is this my emergency power?_ he thought. _How was I damaged so badly so quickly?_ Bass regained another level of awareness and found that he wasn't touching the ground, and something was holding him tight around his neck. He focused and heard Zero yell to Colonel about morals and such, and he remembered the past events and determined his course of action. At once, his blades appeared and sliced through the tough armor that made Colonel's forearm. Colonel cursed and a human mother shrieked somewhere in the crowd. Forte crouched for a split second, then lunged right at the hulking mass that was Colonel. Colonel kicked him out of his dash and flung him across to the worried prisoners. He rose and wiped the blood and dirt off of his cheek, scowling. Zero looked over to see Forte up and well, but was unaware of the goings-on behind him.

The injured Colonel was replaced by none other than Dynamo. He carried a perplexed face as he looked at Forte. "Didn't Sigma kill you?" he asked in his usual voice. "Yeah, but I heal quickly." the god replied with a smile. Dynamo walked over, red visor down, and Zero placed his saber in front of him in a defensive pose. Dynamo stepped closer to Zero, who couldn't bring himself to slash against a fellow Reploid he'd seen before. Zero noticed he didn't have his Saber in his hands, but there it was, clipped to his belt like a tiger's shining eyes peering from a dark cave. "Umm, I might need backup…" he said to the Mavericks behind him. As they stepped closer, guns at the ready, Dynamo let his hand fall to his hilt. Zero and Bass tensed, ready to strike if need be. However, instantly, Dynamo slashed back, destroying his former comrades and sending their lifeless corpses scattered across the floor.

"Dynamo! What the hell are you thinking?! Get back to the base!" yelled a Maverick from behind him. Zero awkwardly cast his gaze to Dynamo, then to the Mavericks, then back to Dynamo, confused to no end. "I quit. You people are boring." Dynamo said to his former commander with a crooked smile on his face. Bass smiled. "So you're a maverick Maverick, huh?" Dynamo laughed. "Yeah, I guess so!" he replied, a big, happy smile on his face. He turned to face his old comrades with his Saber pointed straight at Colonel, who bore his teeth at the traitor. "Now I get to fight _with_ the legendary Zero! This should be fun…" said Dynamo, quite amusedly to the robots behind him.

Chapter 13

Bass moved first. He flung himself over Dynamo's massive body, performing a frontflip halfway through, and then landed on the chest of the closest Maverick. He took one sword and pushed it right through the panicking maverick until he saw his hand sticking out of the other side. Now, the other Reploids joined him in his assault. Dynamo and Zero weaved in between each other; both swiping at the closest foe, until all that remained were the smoking mechanical bits of former Reploids. Zero looked at Dynamo, somehow trusting him, and glanced back to the horde of Mavericks. Forte was in the air, flying towards a mass of maverick Reploids, swords out and forward. Zero looked back to Dynamo, just for a flash, and then everyone heard the screeching crunch of twisting metal and a scream no one could fake. Time seemed to slow down to the pace of near death thoughts as Zero turned and saw what the sound was.

Forte, gasping and struggling for breath, was impaled through his abdomen near the hilt of Colonel's sword, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. He desperately tried to push himself off of the end, gasping as he did so, until another Maverick stabbed another saber into his back, and more blood erupted from his lips. Colonel smiled, a smile of revenge, and kicked Forte off of the end of his sword. The dying god landed on his side, and struggled to stand, but it proved to no avail as his wounds bled. He crawled over to Colonel, his red blades pulsing in and out of existence, and raised his hand as if to attack, but instead fell back to the ground, panting and spewing blood. Unfazed by the sight, Colonel mercilessly drew his hand back, and let fly the final blow. Another blood curdling, drawn out scream filled the air, as the green Saber stuck in between the eyes of Forte. Those eyes, seemingly struggling to stay alive, watered as Death flew upon him, robbing him of life. The red eyes that had witnessed so much pain and suffering now dulled to a lighter shade, and the muscles that were held so tensely now let the pain of life leave them, and they relaxed.

And the robot's heart, of whom had beaten for immeasurable years, stilled, and all was silent.

His lifeless body fell to the ground once the sword was removed, and his own swords finally fazed out of existence.

Chapter 14

Blackness. Nothingness. Normally these are the things you think of when you think of Death. Forte found it quite peaceful, except for the helplessness he felt. He was floating- no. It seemed to be more of falling. He couldn't move, and he felt nothing, but he still knew he was falling. _From where? And to where,_ which was more important? He didn't worry for long. Not that he thought of something else, but rather something told him it would be okay. His fears and emotions left him, probably floating in the abyss. Death was strange. It wasn't particularly bad, but just not normal. _Wait…_ he thought. _Why am I dead? _He didn't remember any pictures, but he remembered pain. _Three areas of pain._ He recalled. The god felt something else besides pain, and searched with his mind. He found there was something else, no, some_one_ here with him. _What's this…presence?_ he thought. _Who else did I pull into Death? _He searched again, longer this time, and found an excess of raw power. _Bingo,_ he thought as he somehow diverted his course over to his find. It was a sphere of shimmering…goo, it seemed like. Long, flowing tendrils were exiting it, and then dissolving into the darkness. He reached out and poked it, and it backed away from his touch, as though it had a mind of its own. He smiled smugly. _Playing hard to get, little ball?_ He said to it, not caring if it heard. He instantly embraced it, feeling light warmth he'd never experienced before. If he had a loving mother hug him, it would've felt like this. Again, he felt pain, and color and life returned to him abruptly, ending his darkness.

His eyes opened, and the god inhaled once again. The noisy room immediately silenced, and all eyes turned to Forte as he rose, broken and bleeding, from the bloody spot where he had died. He got up, and his wounds resumed their sparking. He stood there swaying, no more blood falling from his cuts, and looked at Zero, who just stood there, staring, mouth open in awe. He cleared his throat (there was quite a lot of blood still in it,) and said, "What?" in a perfectly innocent tone. Dynamo, for once, wasn't taking things lightly. He flipped up his visor, giving Zero a look of a grey-eyed, middle-aged Reploid. Dynamo looked at the resurrected robot with a gaze that was serious. Colonel, not transfixed by the miracle, quickly walked over to finish what he had started, Saber in hand, and ready to strike. And strike he did.

The crowd waited for the same crunching and scream, but there was none, save for a surprised gasp from the antagonist. Forte held the glowing blade in his palm, not straining at all. Colonel, enraged, pushed more of his weight onto his blade, but Forte pushed back, even stronger than before. He threw the blade aside, no expression upon his face; he was like a stone wall. Colonel stepped back away from this new being, and panic possessed him. He frantically tried to harm the god, but he deflected every blow. "Why won't he die?!" a berserker Colonel yelled to invisible deities, trying to save himself from the inevitable. Again, Colonel slashed, but this time Forte held it. His brow twitched, and the blade shattered into tiny fragments. The rest just retreated into the hilt for further use. Forte took one step forward, and Colonel fell backwards, crawling on his one uninjured hand like a dog, futilely trying to escape from his merciless master. The rage in the god's eyes was unmatchable. He stepped over Colonel, who was trying as hard as he could to sink into the floor to flee from the demon lord. Forte smiled a sadistic, 'There's-no-escape' grin, and then put his hand on the weeping commander's face. "Nooo!!" he screamed, as Forte's iron grip tightened, twisting Colonel's face into an unrecognizable, horribly grotesque scrap metal piece. He was still moving, and Forte wasn't finished yet. He grabbed Colonel's chest, along with his leg, and pulled them apart. His metal body tore right in two, pouring blood and sparks from both ends.

Forte just walked away, leaving the half dead Reploid to finish himself off. With no more steam to keep him going, the god wearily said to Zero, "Okay, they can fix me now…" Then he fell over, unconscious before he hit the ground. As for the remaining Mavericks, they all surrendered, fearing what the god would do to them if they hadn't.

The End of Part I.

-Epilogue-

Forte was repaired, however the doctors were unable to recover his memories of when he was a Maverick. Dynamo was welcomed into the Maverick Hunters as a Class-A Commander, but people still gaped at his size; he was easily over 7 feet tall. Zero and X were fixed, and still continue to be commanders of their squadrons. As for Bass, he too was welcomed into the hunting parties, but he preferred to stay and work with Dr. Doppler in his lab, upgrading armor and building mechs for field use. He still enjoys "playing" with Zero in the training room, and can keep Dynamo amused for days. The battles are always spectacular, and the whole Base comes to see them. Everyone was happy with the way things turned out. But there was one last thing on their minds… Where was Sigma?


End file.
